Friday, March 21, 2014

911 Call Analyzed : Raven Abaroa

Statement Analysis of 911 calls is from the teaching of Avinoam Sapir. Mr. Sapir teaches that we view this in the light of "the expected", that is, what we expect a call for help to include. Statement Analysis is then confronted by the "unexpected" in wording. R: Oh God **OP: Durham 911 Where is your emergency?R: Help**(Inaudible) I’m at home** my wife** OP: Mam I can’t understand you.R: My wife she’s dead.Note here that Raven Abaroa (subject) gives conclusion of the matter: my wife she's dead. OP: What?R: My wife is dead.very clear OP: Ok. You’re gonna have stop yellin’ so I can understand you.R: **trying

R: Oh baby baby.OP: Mam I can’t understand you.R: Please.OP: I can not understand you.OP: Where are you?R: (Heavy breathing)OP: Where are you mam?R: My. My wife is not breathing. She’sNote that this is not a lie; the dead wife is not breathing. Yet, does the subject now wish to convey that his wife is alive? This is deceptive.

OP: Ok, you’re going to have to calm down ok, what’s the address?R: 2606 Ferrand Drive. 2606 Ferrand Drive.OP: Ok, now tell me what’s wrong.R: She’s been shot or something there’s blood everywhere."she's been shot" is passive. This is something one would say when one either does not know the shooter, or who wishes to conceal the shooter's identity. "or something" allows that something else, besides a shooting, happened to his wife. Why would he allow for something else?OP: She’s been shot?R: Yes.After the additional words "or something" he now affirms that she was shot. This may indicate that he is looking for something else to report. Recall, he first reported her dead and then not breathing.

OP. Ok. Alright. I want you to.R: I can’tOP: Listen to me.R: don’t** OP: Can you listen to me? I need you to calm down and talk to me and answer my questions, ok? What’s the phone number you’re calling from?R: I’m at 593 – 4535. OP: 4935?R: 4535OP: Ok, and how old is your wife?R: She is 25.entering into the language of the 911 operatorOP: Ok, and you just came home?Feeding him language. Mistake.

R: Yes.OP: Alright, now tell, now tell me what, tell me exactly what is goin’ on there. Tell me exactly what you came in to."Tell me what happened" is best. The additional wording is not.

R: I came in to my house. I came upstairs. Um, the lights were off, the door was cracked open. I thought. I saw, I left it open. Ah,,My baby’s crying right now.Tell me what happened has not produced that he found his wife shot. Instead, he is focused upon himself. "I" came to my house. "I" came up stairs. Note the inclusion of "lights" and "doors", with "lights" being "off".The language of "lights" and "doors" is sometimes found in sexual homicides, or where sexuality was in play, or might be a motive. That the lights were "off" is a negative towards sex. The investigation should focus on possible sexual homicide, or sexuality as reason for shooting. OP: How old’s your baby?R: He was 6 months old.OP: Ok,R: It’s my wife.OP: Ok, listen to me honey ok? I need you to calm down for me, alright, answer me some questions. Is your wife conscious? R: No. She’s like blue.Not that she is blue, but "like" blue.

OP: She’s blue?R: Her eyes are open. OP: Alright, ok, hang with me now, just calm down, ok? I need you to calm down so I can help you, ok? Alright, I’m sending the paramedics to help you now, stay on the line I’ll tell you exactly what to do.R: . ……shot. (Inaudible). OP: Just try to calm down, ok.R: Ok. This is is not right. she heard me?**OP: I’m sorry?R: (Inaudible)OP: Just try to calm down for me, ok?R: (Five deep breaths)OP: Listen to me now, ok? What’s your name?R: My name is Raven Abaroa.OP: I’m sorry, what’s your name?R: RavenOP: Raven?R: Raven, like the bird, Raven.OP: Ok, listen to me now, ok? I want you to listen to me very carefully, ok?R: She’s not breathing.He already reported she was dead. R: There’s like stuff everywhere.This is a tangent away from his "not breathing" wife, and is non essential information for the assistance of his wife, making this information critically important to the subject. Unnecessary information should be deemed "doubly important" by the analyst. OP: Ok, honey, I’m getting help on the way, but I want you to listen to me, ok?Are you listening? I want you to take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out very slowly through your mouth, ok?OP: Do that a couple of times. Try to calm down so we can talk, ok? And she’s upstairs?R: Yes, and my baby’s crying.Another tangent.

OP: Can you get the baby with you?R: Yes, but I ca…OP: Just try, honey, you’re gonna scare the baby to death, just try to calm down for me, ok?R: (Inaudible) Kaiden, Kaiden OP: I’m sorry.R: My baby, **OP: I know.** Try to calm down for me, ok?OP: Raven. Take some more deep breaths, ok? In slowly through the no, in through the nose and out slowly through the mouth, ok?R: It’s ok Kaiden.OP: Ok, try to calm down ‘cause we don’t’ want to scare the baby to death, ok? OP: Ok, try to calm down, you’re doing well, you’re doin’ very well. How long have you been gone?R: Uh, since like eight.OP: And she’s in an upstairs bedroom?R: Yeah.OP: Just, you’re doin’ well. Just stay with me and try to calm down. I’m gonna keep you on the phone until I get you help there, ok? Do you feel like doin’ CPRwould help?R: She’s not with me.Note the word "with" between them indicates distance. 911 still focusing upon helping the victim, with possible CPR. The subject wants help, not for his wife, but for himself.

OP: She’s not?R: I need my Bishop.Note that he is not going to help the victim, but he, himself, seeks help. He wants his Bishop. The emergency over his wife has now turned to himself. This is more expected in guilt than innocence.

OP: You need your what, honey?R: I need my bishop.OP: You need your what?Whether or not the 911 caller understood or was taken back by the request, I do not know.

R: My Bishop of my church ……….(Inaudible)OP: Alright, what’s his name?R: I don’t know.The tangent went awry. He had called for "my Bishop" but cannot identify who the Bishop is. The call for help is for the subject, indication of need for help. This is a signal of a guilty caller, and is the unexpected.

OP: Just, just, come on, take some more deep breaths for me Raven you’re doin’ good.R: Dean**… I don’t know… Dean**OP: Ok, just, just calm down for me, ok? Come on take some more deep breaths for me. In through the nose out through the mouth, ok?OP: Can you tell how many times your wife has been shot?OP: Do you see any bullet holes?R: I can see one, like right in the chest.He reports what he can "see" but does not answer the question "can you tell me how many times your wife has been shot?" This was a good question, but by asking another question, compounding the questions, the chance to see if he will slip out how many times she has been shot was lost.

OP: Shot in the chest?R: Yeah, I put my hand on it but nothing. It’s, it’s not bleeding, it’s nothing.R: (Inaudible) What’s his name?OP: Raven, Raven, Raven stay with me honey I need you to calm down, ok?R: (Inaudible)OP: Try to calm down for me, ok? Deep breaths, in through the nose out through the mouth slowly. Where is the baby?R: He’s in my hands, he’s (Inaudible)OP: He’s in your hands. Ok, if he is calmed down now?R: Yes.OP: Ok. Well you try to calm down so that he can stay calm, ok?OP: You said when you came home the front door was cracked open?R: Uh, my side door, I came in my side door.R: (Inaudible) Bishop, Um, my home teacher is Mike and Sam. Mike’s last name, Mike, come on Mike, um, it’s…OP: Do you know his phone number?R: Umm, yeah, please. I gotta go, Janet I love you.OP: Come on Raven, stick with me now, try to calm down, ok? You gotta be there for that baby, ok?R; Yes, mamOP: Ok, you just try to calm down. I’m stayin’ with you til they get there, ok?R: (Inaudible) …OP: I know you’re upsetR:I needNote the need for himself.

OP: Come on baby, you need to breath, honey, you need to breath.R: Um, Mark Stone, Mark StoneOP: Mike Stone?R: Mark Stone’s number is 732 – xxxx. I need some help.OP: Ok, what was Mark’s last name, Stone?R: Yeah, there’s somebody hereOP: And it’s Mark Stone?R: YeahOP: Ok, alright, I want you to stay on the phone with me, ok?R: Ok.OP: And I’m going to get somebody to call him for us. OP: Call Mark Stone at that number and tell him I have Raven on the phone.R: (Inaudible) Kaiden,OP: Does he know where you live?R: Yes.OP: He does? (Tell him to come to his house.** )R: I need help **, I can’t do this alone (over the top of OP)OP: Ok, try to calm down for me, now come on Raven, breath for me, breath for me. Slow deep breaths. Try to calm down. You’re doin’ great, you’re really doin’ great. Slow deep breaths, ok? Slow deep breaths.OP: You ok?OP: What’s your name? Just Raven?R: My name is Raven.OP: His name is Raven. (to someone in her office) Mark Stone.OP: He’s not there. Ok, Mark Stone is not there, who else did you say?R: (Inaudible) cell phone.OP: Huh? Are the police there with you?R: I don’t know, I just got home five minutes ago.(Inaudible word, maybe from Raven, Sir, maybe?)time of arrival important to subject

OP: Raven?R: Yes mamOP: Are the police there with you?R: Yes,OP: Alright, now I want you to calm down I need to ask you something, ok?OP: We’ve called the number for Mark Stone but they said that he’s not there. Is there anybody else you want me to call?R: I can’t remember my bishop’s name.the possessive pronoun, "my" but not the name? Not a close relationship.

OP: Ok, honey try to calm down. What church do you go to?R: The church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints.This can be taken as call of Divinity

OP: Ok, which one?R: Uh, Durham, second ward.OP: Durham what?R: Second ward.OP: Do you know where that, I mean, what address is that?R: I don’t know. It’s a mile from here.OP: Mister Ma, Hey Raven there is a Mr. Macordy(sp) on the way to your residence. He’s from your church. Are you there Raven? Raven. Hello?R: YesOP: Raven?R: Umm Hmm.OP: Raven?R: YesOP: Are you there?R: Yeah.OP: Ok, there’s a Mr. Macordy? on the way to your house. He’s from your church. Ok? Are you alright now, are you gonna be ok while their there?OP: Raven?R: YesOP: I’m gonna let you go so you can talk to the, to the police that are there, ok?OP: Raven?R: Ok.OP: You ok?R: Yeah, I’m ok.OP: You breathin’ alright for me?OP: Ok, I’m gonna let you go and talk to the people that are there, ok?R: OkOP: AlrightR: ByeOP: Bye bye.

24 comments:

I remember hearing this call on local news with a group of people in the room. Every person in the room looked at everybody else with a frown & a look like "what is wrong with this man, asking for friend & Bishop? His wife ISN'T BREATHING!"

I think he means that the person is calling out for God in asking for a church representative. It might make the caller look like a religious, upright person who could not possibly be guilty of murder. On the other hand, someone might legitimately be calling out for God's help.

Now I have questions... Aren't some death scenes so very clear that a person is dead that the caller may know that the person is beyond saving? Would it be so strange that the person might ask for help for themselves in that case?

Hi Anon IThat makes sense. I think it threw me a little because it was capitalized and I thought it might be something more specific.

It seems to me that even if a death scene was fairly clear to an objective eye, I would expect someone close to the victim ( especially a spouse or parent) to confront the scene with denial. Denial would the protective mechanism that kicks in when you are confronted with something too painful to believe. EMT personnel probably see,this more often than anyone else - a parent, spouse or child clinging to the loved one who is clearly beyond help, and begging, "Please help my wife (husband, son, sister, etc). Do something!" So what I would expect to hear on the 911 call from the husband is "Send an ambulance" not "Send the Bishop."

I agree, the whole call sounds wonky. I was in the medical field (SAHM now), so my first reaction to a crisis is to take action and delegate. If someone was obviously beyond help, my first instinct would be to get some help with the baby he speaks of... I collapse emotionally later. "Normal" and "expected" are not some of my stronger points. LOL

The expected is (Not all the time), no matter what. The majority of people would never give up hope, until that is, reality kicks in and they have been pronounced dead at a crime scene, or at home, wherever. Even then, denial will not accept it.

Yet he is so quick to declare his wife dead, even before any emergency services have arrived.

When i lost my Mum, and even though i lowered her down into our family grave, and she was gone.I still was in denial.

So, i digress.

2) He never asks for help for his wife. When he douse ask for help, its was for him. " I need"

3) My last point, which for me, stands out most of all, is. If you read this transcript, and you were not aware of the case in question. Would know what his wifes name is?

I thought it was odd at the time that he called 911 before he checked on the baby, but I'm not sure that was the order of events. Maybe he went with the phone to make sure the baby was ok? I just felt that, as a parent, if I walked into a scene so horrible and knew my baby was home with my spouse, I would have to run to baby as I was calling 911 - I would be frantic. I don't know that he did or didn't, just that the baby started to cry during the call,

OP: Just, you’re doin’ well. Just stay with me and try to calm down. I’m gonna keep you on the phone until I get you help there, ok? Do you feel like doin’ CPRwould help?

R: She’s not with me.

She is placed as far away from Me as can be in the sentence, with distancing in the middle.

Early in the call, after establishing her death and the address, Raven responds with I can't and Don't. He was very agitated and yelling loudly (i heard an audio of the call) and it was as if he did not want to start answering the operators questions. Whether he thought that is how a 911 call should sound or because now that he was actually "in it" he didn't want to be, who knows?

R: Ok. This is is not right. she heard me?**

Prior to this he talks about her eyes being open. was he surprised that she saw him shoot her? Is that what "is is not right" that she heard him coming to get her? I find some of his statements confusing.

Good analysis. I just watched the 20/20 episode. The guy is totally guilty. Sociopath. First trial was a hung jury because one person out of 12 was too afraid of ever sending an innocent person to jail, so they said they'd take the chance they were letting a guilty man walk free?! 2nd trial he pleaded some weird plea that wasn't really pleading guilty and only got 8 yrs with 4 left to serve. Frightening!

Anonymous, it was an Alford plea. He does not take responsibility for the killing of his wife, but accepts that the evidence against him is very strong. I saw the end of the special and Janet ' s five sisters did not want to face another trial. Does not seem fair that he will only serve 8-10 years and like Janet ' s father said, "she will never hear her son call her mommy". Her son was 6 months old when she was killed, and he was in the house. I have also read that she was found to have been pregnant. Very sad.

Thank you Jen. It was the Alford Plea (1st time I'd heard of it, so I forgot the name. It was so sad, his poor wife got ensnared by that psychopath. What a cruel SOB, he 1st leaves her when she is pregnant, the kind neighbor talks him into coming back home, ironically she would have been much better off had he just stayed gone. Ironic about his name being "Raven" like the Poe poem too. The Moorer's name freaks me out also as it is promounced the same as the Fench word for death "le mort" (sorry fir the tangent but I notice weird things like that w names.)

Funny, peculiar, is that discovering his wife shot he didn't immediately search for his son. The baby was an after thought ("Ah, my baby's crying right now.) I would expect the baby to be in his arms, protected, as the call was made/he spoke with 911.

Love, honor and protect. As a parent, the baby's safety should be paramount after discovering your wife shot (and blue). Otherwise, I would be calling 911 for her while frantically searching for my son.

What struck me, too, was that the husband kept the focus on him the whole call. Even when having the baby in his arms, it was still just about him hyperventilating. He picked the baby up (apparently) but it didn't sound like he was soothing the baby.

I'm not familiar with this case and haven't heard the audio. "I need help. I can't do this alone." It sounds very dramatic and contrived. It sounds like something from a "made for TV" drama.

o/t or maybe not. But I am acquainted with a couple of people, who, no matter what is happening, it is *always* about them. Recently, one was helping to move her mother-in-law into an adult residence. But she still managed to make it about her. Finally I asked her, "So what about ***? Is *she* okay." Big emphasis on the mother-in-law. "Oh! Yeah, she's great! Anyway, I....". She doesn't get it. And in the case of this 911, it could be his personality playing out. That his wife is shot, blue, no blood flow from the wound. He could be resigned to the fact that she's dead, he's not and the focus is about *his* tragedy.

If he thought someone broke in the house, and shot his wife, instinctually he should have run upstairs to save his baby from the intruder. If the baby was crying, I would have imagined that the intruder now has my baby and I would run up to save him!

He reports what he can "see" but does not answer the question "can you tell me how many times your wife has been shot?" This was a good question, but by asking another question, compounding the questions, the chance to see if he will slip out how many times she has been shot was lost.

OP: Shot in the chest?

R: Yeah, I put my hand on it but nothing. It’s, it’s not bleeding, it’s nothing.

Hi Bonnie Blue,Janet Abaroa was stabbed to death. Raven's remarks about a gunshot wound were possibly a calculated attempt to convince others that he didn't know what befell his wife. (I came home, she was on the floor, there was blood & a big mess, so I thought she was shot. I couldn't tell there were stab wounds instead of bullet holes. How was I to know? Along those lines). One mistake he made was not racing to check on the baby after finding his wife. For all he knew, the baby was injured or taken. He had a bad reputation in the community after being fired from his job for stealing sporting good supplies (he was shipping them to Utah). His wife Janet was respected and well-liked at the same company, but left her job out of embarrassment. The murder and trial were hot topics in this area for a long time. Many in the community were outraged when one lone juror refused to convict, leaving the judge no option other than mistrial.

Great Analyses of the 911 call. Some things to consider. Testimony of this case Raven told police after the interview that the baby was crying when he came in and then he saw Janet on her knees with her head bent over her knees. If you listen to the 911 call you do not hear the baby crying until later when you hear the baby scream. When Raven was asked his address he enunciated VERY clearly. When he was asked his name he said Raven, Raven like the bird, and that you can hear. When he didn't feel like answering he became inaudible. Unless you were at the trial, you would NOT know that Raven had very little blood on him, but his hands were coated in blood. Janet was not bleeding, the only way to get that much blood on his hands, he would have had to soak his hands in the blood that was pooled on the carpeting...strange isn't it? Also, there was a bloody hand print on his son's bottom. The issue with the hand print on Kaiden's pj's was that to make this hand print Kaiden would have had to have been picked up....upside down. Yes, he would have literally had to be held upside down. It was said during this trial that Kaiden was not crying during this 911 call at first, like Raven claimed. We found out during the trial that there was Tylenol near the bed, as though Kaiden had tylenol in his system to help him sleep. It is my belief that Raven didn't want to spend time on the 911 call giving away too much so and he went to go get Kaiden saying he was crying, but when he went to get Kaiden he didn't wake up fast enough, so Raven picked him up...upside down and shook him to wake him which made him then scream. Raven wanted to avoid answering too many questions and he didn't want to give CPR, because he knew she was dead, because he killed her before he went to play socker. Also, Janet was found on her back when first responders arrived and she was not on her knees at that time and hadn't been on her knees in quite a while. Her back was black and blue so there was pooling there up by her head and she could not have been found on her hands and knees by Raven because of the state of rigomortis, this was something I learned during the trial.